Impact of moisture conservation and nutrient-management practices on performance of maize (Zea mays) in Tarai Region of West Bengal

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during Pre Kharif seasons (February to May) of 2013 and 2014 at the In- structional Farm, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari, Coochbehar, West Bengal to evaluate the growth, yield and economics of maize (Zea mays L.) under moisture conservation and nutrient-management practices. Among the moisture-conservation practices, irrigation resulted in the highest yield attributes such as cob length, cob girth, 100-grain weight, cob/plant, grain/cob, rows/cob and grain weight/cob, leading to the highest grain yield (4.35 t/ha), stover yield (12.0 t/ha), harvest index (26.4%), water-use efficiency (0.11 kg/ha/mm), net returns (30.1 103 /ha) and benefit: cost ratio (1.19). Application of irrigation significantly increased the plant height (218 cm at harvesting), leaf-area index [4.41 at 75 days after sowing (DAS)], dry-matter accumulation (1,203 g/m2 at harvest- ing), crop-growth rate (20.2 g/g/m2 at 6175 DAS), nitrogen (89.9 kg/ha), phosphorus (54.3 kg/ha) and potassium (104.1 kg/ha) uptake. Among the nutrient management practices, the highest plant height (216 cm at harvesting), leaf-area index (4.26 at 75 DAS), dry-matter accumulation (1,167 g/m2 at harvest), crop-growth rate (19.5 g/g/m2 at 6175 DAS), grain yield (4.21 t/ha), stover yield (11.7 t/ha), harvest index (26.3%), nitrogen (90.3 kg/ha), phos- phorus (51.5 kg/ha), potassium (99.4 kg/ha) uptake, net returns (25.8 103 /ha) and water-use efficiency (0.10 kg/ha-mm) were recorded under treatment receiving 75% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) + phosphate- solubilizing bacteria (PSB) + Azotobacter + vermicompost @ 5.0 t/ha but the highest benefit: cost ratio (0.98) was recorded under 100% RDF + PSB + Azotobacter (N ). Our result showed that maize grown with irrigation and sup- 2 plied with 75% RDF + PSB + Azotobacter + vermicompost @ 5.0 t/ha (N ) proved the best for obtaining overall 3 gain on a sustainable basis.